Volkswagen Still Finalizing Name for Smaller Atlas SUV

The five-passenger crossover concept that Volkswagen showed at the New York auto show is called the Atlas Cross Sport. But that may not be its name when it goes into production at the end of 2019.

The final name will include the word Atlas, but it is the suffix that is still being determined, said Hinrich Woebcken, Volkswagen’s North American region CEO. “The name is not finally decided. We need to look at data and see what’s available.”

The wheelbase is identical to the seven-passenger Atlas with three rows of seats but overall length is 7.5 inches shorter. The concept, which is close to production, has the same 3.6-liter V-6 engine as in the Atlas, producing 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. But there is also an 18-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery and two electric motors: one with 54 hp and 162 lb-ft up front and one with 114 hp and 199 lb-ft in the rear for a total output of 355 hp.

Pricing has not been set but it will not be a big walkup from the five-passenger to the seven-passenger, Woebcken said.

He would not say which one he expects to be the bigger seller of the two.

And there is definitely room for both in the huge midsize crossover segment. “With only one car you are missing opportunities,” he said.

The five-passenger member of the family will join its bigger brother on the assembly line in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which also makes the Passat,a car that’s due for a new generation soon. Despite the shift in demand from cars to utility vehicles, VW remains committed to sedans. “We want to grow and be a full line automaker and that includes sedans,” he said. “We want to be strong in all relevant sectors.”

 

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